Car-coupling.



D. ALFORD.

CAR GOUPLING.

APPLIoATxoN FILED MAY 2, 190s.

91 6,246. Patented Mar. 23, 1909.

I Illiiiiiii-J anne/wkn /7'5 U17-mz Witwen@ a i 1 fd) UNITED STATES 4PLFENT OFFICE.

DANIELVALFORD, OF CUBA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CLYDE D. TAYLOR, OF CUBA, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

Application filed May 2, 1908.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 23, 1909.

Serial No. 430,579.

T all whom 'it may concer/IL:

Be it-known that I, DANIEL ALFORD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Cuba, in the county of Fulton and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers, of which the followinfr is a specification.

My invention re ates to car couplers, and its primary object is to provide a device ol this character which is especially designed i'or use on mining cars, which is simple, durable and efcient, and which may be manufactured and sold at a comparatively low cost.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereina'lter fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional view taken on a plane vertically and centrally through a mining car equip ed with a coupler constructed in accorc ance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the coupler. Fig. 3 is a vertica sectional view taken on a plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. Llis a horizontal sectional view taken pn a plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, 1 designates the body, and 2 the supporting wheels of a mining car of the usual form and construction.

My im roved coupler comprises a drawhead 3 w ich is provided with a slotted extension 4. One end of a drawbar 5 is mounted in the slot of the extension 4 of the drawhead. The drawhead is secured to the bottom of the mining car, and the end of the drawbar is secured in the slot of the drawhead by means of bolts 6, the bolts passing through the bottom of the car, the extension and the drawbar, and projecting ends of the bolts being threaded for the reception of nuts 7. The o posite end of the drawbar projects beyon the end ol the car and is provided with an opening 8 to receive the pin of the drawhead of the next adjacent car. The drawbar is also secured to the bottom of the car. by means of bolts and nuts 9, which pass through the bottom of the car. The drawheadis provided with a longitudinally extending recess 10 adapted to receive the projecting ends of the drawbar of the next adjacent car, and the drawhead is flared, as

at l1, to direct said end of the drawbar into the recess. The upper and lower sides ol the drawhead are provided with slots 12 and 13, respectively, which extend longitudinally thereof and which communicate with the recess 10. A pair of ears 14 is formed on and rises vertically from the upper side of the drawhead, one of said ears being arranged on each side ot' the slot 12.

A pin 15 is pivot-ally mounted at a point intermediate its ends between the ears 14 upon a bolt 16, said bolt passing through the ears and the pin. The pin extends across the recess 10 ot the drawhead and is adapted to automatically engage the opening 8 of the drawbar of the next adjacent car to couple the cars together. The opening 8 of the drawbar is large enough to permit the cars to have relative movements so as not to throw any undue strain on the pin during the shifting of the cars. VV hen the pin is in coupling position, it contacts with the outer end walls 17 of the slots 12 and 13, whereby to prevent any strain from being thrown on the bolt 16. That portion of the pin 15 which extends above the pivotal bolt 16 is formed to provide a handle 1S, by means of which the pin may be swung out of the opening S of the drawbar 5 when it is desired to uncouple the cars. rlhis movement of the pin is liinited by the handle 18 engaging the drawhead and the lower end of the pin engaging the inclined inner end wall 19 of the slot 12. The pin is held by gravity in its coupling position, whereby when the projecting end of the drawbar passes into the recess 16, the pin is swung into uncoupling position, that is, into the position shown by dotted lines oil Fig. 3 ot the drawing. lll-.Then the end of the drawbar has been moved inwardly a sullicient distance, the lower end ol the pin drops into the opening 8 thereof, thus coupling the cars together. The drawhead is provided with openings 20 to permit a draft animal to be secured to the drawhead by means of a hook. 1

It should be apparent from the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, that I provide a car coupler which is admirably adapted for the purpose for which it is intended, which is simple, durable and eilicient, and which may be manufactured and sold at a comparatively low cost.

Changes in the form, proportions and minor details of construction may be made Within the scope of the claim Without deal'tin from the s irit or sacriicino en of the advantages of the invention.

Having fully described and illustrated my invention7 what I claim is:

The combination With a car, of a drawhead provided with a slotted extension, a pin mounted upon the drawhead, a draft ber having one end disposed in the slot ofthe extension and its other end projected beyond the car, said projected end being provided With an opening, and bolts passing through the extension and drewheed to secure the E dravvheed and draft bar together and to the car.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature i'npresence of two Witnesses.

DANIEL ALF@ RD. 

